Escape From Hell
by Fallen-Upwards
Summary: Some Swearing, Story about Raditz escaping from hell, and A LOT of characteriszation (esp. in early parts) of Raditz. Also he's not evil. Oh and this is not a stupid one where Raditz is gay. Lastly, I do not own DBZ or any of it's characters.
1. Prologue

1: Tsii  
  
Once through the door, I looked around. I was in an huge open space. If I had been lucky I might have seen Goku in this very space, but frankly I was less worried about Goku then I was about me!  
  
So what do you do when you find a huge meadow? Well if you're a Sayin you find the nearest other living (Well, not technically living...) creature and demand to know where everyone is. In this case it was a ogre.  
  
"Oh crap! A Sayin! I shouldn't have come too close to here!" He muttered, not knowing that Sayin ears are more acute then other ears. "Where are all the others?" I demanded angry. "They just went by raiding sheep! Over in that direction!" He pointed in what I thought of as west (Although there's no way to tell).  
  
If I'd known the rules I probably could have found them sooner, but in hell Directions are strange. In any case, A group of Sayins without sheep take a different route then a group of Sayins with sheep. I don't know why, but, I didn't know the rules.  
  
It took three days for me to find them. By that time I was pissed off. I found out why the Sayins were raiding sheep.  
  
In hell, you don't have to eat. But if you don't you'll be hungry. And it never ends with death, you just get hungrier and hungrier. As you get hungrier you lose chi. Until you have none left. Once you have no chi, you're doomed. You're stuck wandering around powerless until you've earned re-incarnation. Not fun.  
  
I won't tell you what happened in hell, for two reasons. One, It would take to long, I'll cut to the chase, and two, It's not all that interesting, well, scratch that, it's very interesting, but the explanations as to how things work there is just too hard for right now. Suffice to say that I met an old...acquaintance. I'll tell you about that too but who I met later and who affected me more was Tsii.  
  
Tsii was different from all the other sayins. In hell he was much more powerful then them. He was powerful back Vegetasei too, but that was a different power and, well,  
  
Let's start over. Tsii is hard to explain. Tsii was different. He always tried not to kill a planet, He always tried to take slaves. He only went on the mandatory purges, never signed up for anything else.  
  
So, in hell Tsii taught a few of us what he thought. For the first time in Sayin History a civilization arose. I say for the first time because the king and the feudal system, that was all barbaric. No, it took Hell to get us together.  
  
So, while the other Sayins fought and ate, we learned the rules of hell. With Tsii our leader we learned the basic rules of social hunting we Sayins never learned. We learned how to set traps for animals, and how to work together to kill the bigger ones. In hell animals can't be killed by ki. That's why the other Sayins went after sheep. But, I'm wandering. It's a trait I picked up from Tsii. He always said that the only way to tell a story was to give the context. All the context. What can I say, in hell we had the time to do that.  
  
In my time on earth I've heard you humans talk about Jesus. I think Tsii was our Jesus. He taught us ethics when no one else could. He took a ruthless violent race and found some of us worth saving.  
  
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	2. 1: The last of the Sayins

2: The Last Of The Sayins  
  
Raditz suddenly excused himself, "I uh have to uh...I have to go!" He stuttered out on the way out.  
  
Vegeta was going to follow but Bulma stopped him. "He's wants to be alone dummy!" She said.  
  
"What would you know of Sayins woman! I can tell my own races feelings!" Vegeta snapped.  
  
Bulma knew that there would be no swaying Vegeta so she turned to Chichi and said, "But dinner is almost ready isn't it?"  
  
"Uh...Yes of course!" Chichi answered, thinking that dinner wasn't going to be for an hour. She quickly went to go cook something to allay Vegeta and the other Sayins.  
  
"Look, why do you want to follow Raditz so badly anyway?" Bulma asked, seeing that Vegeta was even considering missing a snack.  
  
"He's idolizing one of the failures of our race! Not that you humans would understand." Vegeta was still angry.  
  
"AND HE SHOULD!" Bulma roared, sounding similar to a 747 taking off... to Vegeta's sensitive Sayin ears at least. "Your race was a mass murdering racist evil anti-Christ!" Bulma was in for it all now, Vegeta would not take such verbal abuse on his race well. However Bulma knew that he would not touch her.  
  
"Woman, I am tired of hearing your complaints against my race, you vermin!" Vegeta had used the derogatory term of the Sayins to anyone not Sayin.  
  
"Vegeta I'm giving you to the count of ten to apologize to me and promise to apologize to Raditz, although hear didn't hear you insult him." Bulma's voice was level, which scared the hell out of Vegeta, even though he was stronger. "One"  
  
"Bulma, I'm not backing down!" Vegeta said scornfully.  
  
"Two"  
  
"Bulma!" Vegeta's voice was less firm.  
  
"Three"  
  
"Bulma please!! Not here!" Vegeta was eyeing Goku.  
  
"Four"  
  
"Fine Bulma I'll apologize to you! But not to Raditz! He wasn't here and he's wrong anyway!" Vegeta's voice was pleading now.  
  
"Five"  
  
"Bulma! I can't back down to Raditz! He's my subject! Besides, Tsii was a disgrace!"  
  
"Six"  
  
"Look, Maybe if he'd been here! But why hurt his feelings by telling him what I said?"  
  
"Seven"  
  
"Please Bulma! He's my subject!"  
  
"Eight"  
  
"FINE WOMAN!" Vegeta promptly stormed out.  
  
"Doesn't he need to apologize?" Goku asked Chichi, who had just returned, hit him on the back of the head.  
  
"He'll come back...when he remembers there's food here. Also we both know I won that fight." Bulma told him.  
  
Sure enough Vegeta came back about ten minutes later. Raditz returned almost a full hour later, when dinner really was starting.  
  
After dinner, Bulma reminded Vegeta of his obligation. Vegeta, of course, fought, but at last he went to go find Raditz. (Goten and Trunks had gone to bed, Raditz would continue his story tomorrow).  
  
"Raditz after you left, I said...some things about Tsii. And well...my mate thinks I should apologize...and..." "Thanks Vegeta that's fine" Raditz said, inside he was angry at Vegeta, but he knew that wouldn't help matters.  
  
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	3. 2: Flying Falling Fighting

3: Flying Falling Fighting  
  
The next night Krillen came over with 18 to hear Radiz's stories. Raditz was introduced, and he was nervous, but soon he got back into the story. After a short summary of what had happened before he continued on.  
  
"So the 10 of us were doing well by the time I escaped and-"  
  
"You ESCAPED?"  
  
"Yes Goku that's what I'm here to tell you about.  
  
In any case the 10 of us were actually getting a good meal in and were getting stronger every day...not that it really took effort, but whatever. In any case one day we were taking a look out in one direction. It's a place where almost nobody goes. Large open desert in the middle of hell, actually fairly ugly.  
  
So we were all out there flying and-"  
  
"Great food Chichi!" Goku interrupted. Raditz was annoyed but held his peace. After the first time you see your brother in a long time you don't get angry for minor faults.  
  
So we were flying out over this area looking for something...I don't remember what, but suddenly I see a big dip, looks like a pond used to be there. So I ask them,  
  
"Hey does anyone remember a big pond here?"  
  
"Ponds in hell?" Goku interjected once more.  
  
"Yes Goku, try not to interrupt"  
  
"Sorry"  
  
"Of course they didn't remember any pond, there's no water at all in that area, so we're all wondering about what this thing is when we start flying down towards it. Turns out to be a big hole, about 20 feet across at the narrowest point.  
  
We're about 5 feet away when the thing starts sucking air, fast. So fast that we get dragged down the hole. Of course our immediate reaction was to fly away, but the pull was too strong. We start yelling at each other, trying to talk. And suddenly we realize, even though there's a lot of air moving, there's no sound. We can't hear each other yell, but we can't hear anything. It was disorienting.  
  
Then Tsii starts miming something, none of us understands but we understand one thing, come here. Then he turns around and flies down the hole. We all follow, because there's really no choice. It's either slowly get dragged down and run out of energy to react when something immediate happens, or follow. So we followed.  
  
We flew for a long time, then deciding that we really couldn't keep this up, we decided to just fall. We fell for a long time as well. It was probably two days. I think I fell asleep a few times, but it's hard to fall asleep in free-fall.  
  
Then came a subtle change in the hole. The hole itself curved very slightly until we we're going horizontal. Also the other change wasn't physical, but we realized, there was light in the hole. Not suddenly, there always had been. We just never noticed. There is something disturbing about source- less light, I don't know what.  
  
Well, As long as we we're being pulled along we figured we'd do something. So we talked. And we figured out what was causing that light. The walls we're reflective. Perfectly. They we're also perfectly smooth. There was absolutely no friction. That's why there was no sound, No friction for it to happen. Of course we we're worried about what would happen at the other end of this hole. We we're definitely moving, although we couldn't gauge how fast. Suddenly the wind stopped.  
  
The first thing we noticed was that the wind stopped, the second thing was the ground rushing towards us. We all started flying, but in different directions. So we flew back to the middle and alighted on the ground. Tsii was the first to react.  
  
"Well, I think that we could try to go back, but I don't think we'll manage to stay awake for long enough to get up the vertical section...and the wind might pick up again." Tsii reasoned.  
  
"I think we should go on, I mean what could be worse then where we we're?" That was Tay, the youngest of our group, he was rather impetuous.  
  
"Look, sure hell isn't great, but it's better then being in hell and dead!" I said.  
  
"Coward" Vegeta muttered, forgetting that he wasn't the only Sayin in the room, Goku, Raditz, Gohan, Goten and Trunks all heard him clearly.  
  
Raditz stood up. "Vegeta, just because you and the rest of the Sayins find it so cowardly to not go blindly blundering straight on doesn't mean you're right. Look what happened when you blundered after Freiza, yes I can see how amazing your father's bravery was then!"  
  
Vegeta, who had been longing on the inside of a doorway straightened turned as if to go and then turned back "You know Raditz it occurs to me that I as King have the right to kill you." His voice was level, not because he was holding his anger back, but because he was so angry it almost choked him.  
  
Raditz calmly stated "Sure, continue our species way, the one of blind stupidity." "Says the one who is insulting a man much more powerful then him!" Vegeta Was beginning to yell  
  
"You are king Vegeta?" Raditz exploded through the next sentence "OF WHAT?! A few measly remaining Sayins, you know what, the younger Sayins never swore the oath, And they never will! Your family's power is ended!"  
  
"It was far more powerful in it's weakest days then yours will ever be!"  
  
"You continue to attempt to score points off me without realizing what you have to say is unimportant! I don't have to follow your orders because No one else will! The Sayins only needed a good genocide to get them to realize that they were wrong! The only one who will follow your orders is you! YOU HAVE NO POWER! If you kill me you kill one of the only two remaining Sayins who remembers the old ways and I'm not telling! That means the only one who will try to continue them is you! And no one is listening! Face it Vegeta, the old ways die with you, one way or another. If you can't handle this then go back to the fairy land you came from because this is reality!" Raditz realized he had lost control, in a calmer voice he said "Look, Vegeta, It's just that you need to drop it. Trust me, you'll be happier if you would just drop the tough Sayin attitude."  
  
Raditz's words broke over the group like a wave, Vegeta's actions now weren't stupid, they were the acts of a man who's line will continue but who's race is doomed. He wasn't ignorant or too stupid to grasp new ideas, he just wouldn't. He thought that his preserving the old ideas was the only chance of survival.  
  
Vegeta however was too set in the old ways, you do not change a man by one little speech, most especially when he is already resisting new ideas.  
  
"Ya sure, like I'll listen to a coward weakling!" then he left.  
  
"Raditz, much as I hate you insulting my husband, you were right, I just wish he had listened."  
  
Bulma's voice was an odd mixture of passion and understanding, Raditz noticed and thought about how much of her personality you could tell from that. She was fiercely loyal, and yet she wasn't grudging of people noticing her husbands faults. She would fight to the death over the slightest insult, but only if there was no reason behind it. Raditz decided that she was also tired, Her husband wouldn't listen to her much, or so she thought. Raditz decided to tell her that he did listen, but not directly.  
  
"He did listen. If he hadn't I, and most of this house wouldn't be standing here. Also he wouldn't have left if I didn't strike a nerve. No he listened, he just doesn't want to."  
  
"Did she pick it up?" Raditz wondered. "I hope so, she deserves to know that she changes Vegeta. If anyone will save his soul, it will be her." Then he saw the way her face changed, Yes she did, well I'm sure she'll reinforce what I said to Vegeta, I'm sure she'll pound it into his brain...I hope so. He turned back to the rest of the table.  
  
"I think I should wait to tell the rest of it."  
  
Of course Goten and Trunks pleaded, but the adults understood. Raditz would finish the story later, when Vegeta was there. No reason to insult him further by leaving him out.  
  
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	4. 3: Gems

4. Gems  
  
Gohan was out flying when he noticed a power blip, someone had just used a fair bit of power in a remote area. He flew towards it.  
  
Soon he found the source. A small cave in a cliff. Barely large enough to permit him in. He immediately lit a chi ball once inside. Inside the cave was much larger, matching an normal room in height, and about that wide too. It was rounded into a circle.  
  
There was only one way to go, slightly down and straight ahead. The power blip had come from in front of him. Gohan flew down the passageway, his chi all lighting the way before him.  
  
When he had gone about 500 feet through a few twists, he came upon a huge open area. The space was enormous. Possibly 200 feet in height and 400 in depth. Looking to the side Gohan saw that it was maybe 400 in width too. The power blip had come from in here, but where? Suddenly he felt it again, the room lit up like a Christmas tree, reds, blues, greens and white lights all around.  
  
Gohan threw a hand over his eyes to block out the light. It dimmed to a more normal intensity, just slightly less bright then outside. Looking around Gohan discovered that there was a hole in the opposite wall, as well as the one behind him, about the same size too.  
  
There was one difference, water was flowing out of that hole onto the ground. The ground was a huge lake, the walls and the lights on them curving under the lake, then the ground flattened out about two feet under he water. The lights disappeared. In the center of the lake there was an island. The sound coming from the water fall was loud, and distracted Gohan. He decided to go take a look at the hole.  
  
Suddenly on the island the was a movement. Gohan spun around to soar towards the island.  
  
He prepared to go to Super-Sayin, zoomed in on the island touched down and -  
  
Smacked into Raditz who was just getting up.  
  
"Ow!" Raditz yelled, the sound muffled by the water falling.  
  
"Raditz?" Gohan asked.  
  
"Yeah, what?"  
  
"Why are you here? And what's with the lights? Or these caves at all? And the waterfall? Why aren't the caves filling up?"  
  
"Woah, back off, okay lets see, I'm here because I wanted to be, sorry if I intruded on some place of yours, The lights I'll explain later. The cave was from a spring, and that's why there's a water fall. The water flows out over on the other side of the cave." Raditz pointed away from the water fall, below where Gohan had first entered.  
  
"No I didn't know about this, otherwise I wouldn't be asking!" Gohan answered.  
  
"k"  
  
"So, why is there another hole?"  
  
"near as I can tell, there was a stream that flowed into this cave. The stream followed some fault line in the rock, but it turned upwards at this point. So the stream ate it's way upwards forming that other passage, the one you came in. Then it ate downwards as well. Eventually it found another way out. I just happened to stop at the stream where it come out, and I looked up and saw the cave."  
  
"Okay, but what about the lights?" Gohan asked, bored, he'd only listened to about half of the explanation.  
  
"Well that's harder to explain. They're all gems. See, the blue is a sapphire, the green emerald and the white is diamonds. Oh, and the red is rubies."  
  
"You're telling me that there's a cave covered in gems and no one came here yet?"  
  
"Well, yeah, gotta be undiscovered places somewhere."  
  
"And they glow because...?"  
  
"I channeled chi through them."  
  
"But wait, that doesn't work for me."  
  
"Yeah well, it has to be spirit chi."  
  
"wait, spirit chi?"  
  
"Yeah, spirit chi. Okay listen, you know how I was really weak when I first came to hell? Okay, well the trick is that normal chi and spirit chi don't relate. So you can't use spirit chi because you've never been to hell."  
  
"So you can kick my ass because you've got something that I have no defense against? I don't think I trust you with that much power, or really trust you at all." Gohan's voice had a bite to it.  
  
"Yeah well, I don't blame you, but no, I can't kick your ass because Spirit chi can only affect spirits, not bodies."  
  
"So you're saying that I have no spirit" Gohan definitely had anger in his voice.  
  
"No, Spirits inside of bodies can't be affected."  
  
"Huh? So you are just a pathetic weakling, just like Vegeta said!"  
  
"You're taking advice from Vegeta now? Good idea, I can see how far it's gotten him!" Raditz began to mirror Gohan's anger. He realized this and suppressed it, he then asked "Why do you hate me so much anyway? And don't act so shocked. I've talked with the others, but you hold yourself aloof. And you glare at me whenever I'm around!"  
  
"You really can't figure out why?" without letting Raditz answer he continued "You kidnapped me and killed my dad!"  
  
"Too bad you don't have more of him in you! He forgave me!"  
  
"Yeah well my dad would forgive Freiza!"  
  
"You think I haven't paid? You think I was HAPPY in hell? You think I like being the ultimate bad guy? You think I don't regret it? Believe me, That crime was way down my list, if that was all you hate me for then you hold a grudge far to long."  
  
"So you're saying we SHOULD forgive Freiza? That's basically the same thing!"  
  
Raditz exploded, shouting so loud the waterfall roaring down became a background noise: "Freiza can't even come close to comparing with me! You have no idea what I am do you? I'm the universes biggest murderer!"  
  
"I'd believe it! Gohan roared back.  
  
"Does it make you proud Gohan? That Your uncle is the universes biggest murderer! Do you think you can come remotely close to adding onto my guilt? If so then you've got FAR too high an opinion of yourself! NOW GET OUT!"  
  
"I'll stay here if I want! And I might have a big opinion of myself but you obviously do too! You think your such a big hotshot on the list of bad guys, Me and my dad have faced down people you can't come close to imagining"  
  
Raditz replied in a terse voice "you just don't get it do you? I'm not imagining it, I got told! I've killed more people directly then any idiot you have met! I might not be the most powerful, but my soul is blacker then theirs. Black with the blood of trillions of people. Now does that satisfy your overblown sense of vanity? That you're related to the most evil ass- hole ever?"  
  
"Oh bullshit, maybe they told you that, but they lied you idiot! Freiza -"  
  
"Did not kill directly, its stupid but it doesn't stain your soul unless it's direct. I can order you to kill anything and if you do it it's your soul that is darkened, not mine!"  
  
"They lied Raditz and you just couldn't get it!"  
  
"YOU CAN NOT LIE IN HELL!" As Raditz bellowed that phrase out the gems began to brighten. By the end they were each as bright as a small sun. Raditz took off and flew out of the cave. The gems went black.  
  
And Gohan was left in the dark, thinking about his uncle, the man with a soul blacker then the now dark gems.  
  
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	5. 4: Alone

5. Alone  
  
When Gohan finally found his way out, he found that Raditz hadn't gone far. He was sitting on top of the cliff. Watching the stream meander out from the cave. Gohan didn't know what to do. Part of him said "That bastard kidnapped me and killed my dad!" Part said "That bastard was the biggest mass murderer ever!" and part said "look at him, probably thinking about all that he's done. I the guilt must be amazing". After a long battle, Gohan decided to go talk to him.  
  
"Raditz I-"  
  
"I didn't ask for your pity"  
  
"I wasn't-"  
  
"No but the tone of your voice tells me why you're here, no other reason you would be anyway!"  
  
"But you-"  
  
"Look just fly back to your little house and get used to having an uncle who killed"  
  
"Raditz I-"  
  
"Gohan -"  
  
"SHUT UP! Good, now Raditz, I just want to say I forgive you. Hell, I know what you're feeling."  
  
"How would you know what I feel, you've never even killed!"  
  
"Yes I have, I helped kill Buu and Cell and-"  
  
"Yes, but that was self defense, you've never known the bite of guilt, there's no dishonor in defending yourself"  
  
"I killed my dad"  
  
"Look Gohan- wha?"  
  
"I waited to long with Cell, I gloated. So my dad died"  
  
"Oh boo hoo, you Imagined some guilt on your part, big deal, You've never actually done anything to be unhappy about!"  
  
"So you want to be alone in the world? You like having that weight on your shoulders? Fine by me! Enjoy yourself!"  
  
Later Gohan would realize that Raditz wasn't trying to push him away. But just didn't know what he wanted. The worst thing Gohan could have done was what he did. Tell him he was abandoned in the world. And leave.  
  
Raditz wasn't lying about his crimes though, In fact, Raditz couldn't lie. He had grown so used to not being able to in hell that he wouldn't remember for some time.  
  
He wasn't completely right though. He had killed more people then anyone else, but his soul wasn't the blackest. He never found out who that particular honor belonged to. Nor would he want to.  
  
Raditz had often wondered how he had managed to kill the most people. Urns out it wasn't that hard. Turns out that the Sayin race held most of the top spots. Raditz beat them all. The ones who were old by the time Vegetasei was blown up hadn't been fighting during the time of Freiza, which lowered your average kill count by a fair bit.  
  
The younger ones had been killed. Except Vegeta, Nappa, Raditz and Goku. Goku obviously wasn't going to kill anyone so that left three. Vegeta and Nappa were too busy getting involved with the bureaucracy under Freiza's command. Raditz killed more sentient people then anyone else.  
  
Although, someone had managed to beat him in terms of animals killed. That was another little fact he never found out.  
  
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	6. 5: Raditz

6. Raditz  
  
Raditz sat there until it got dark out, thinking about his life. He'd never been happy. First he was born, then his dad didn't like him. They just never got along. They would go for hours without talking, each in his own world, trying to ignore the other.  
  
Then came Freiza, and his team on the purges. He'd only been in a few when Freiza blew up Vegetasei. He'd never had time to know any of them. They'd all looked down on him, the new recruit, doesn't know squat. He knew afterwards that they were doing it affectionatly, but at the time he'd hated it.  
  
Then Freiza killed the Sayins. And who was he going to get freindly with now? Vegeta or Nappa? Like hell, they were his commanders. The others at his base? Vermin technicians and arrogant fighters that teased him constantly about his race. Again, affection, but Raditz couldn't recognize that, hell he hadn't seen it in his own race how would he see it in others?  
  
Then he came to Earth, and died trying to make Kakerot a Sayin.  
  
"Fat chance of that, Kakerot was smarter then I ever was" Raditz mused.  
  
Then hell. The first place he'd met Tsii and the others. The first real friends. And they had to be in hell. Of course he was still miserable. He now knew that he should feel guilty. And all those years caught up with him. Friends who were just as guilty as him had helped him, but that didn't change anything.  
  
And now he was, understandably, being shunned by the universe he'd killed more of then any one else. It would seem Raditz was eternally miserable. Was there no chance of him ever being happy.  
  
And so he sat, musing on all he'd done, his first purge, those stupid ten legged animals that would plead as he tore off their legs and watched them squirm, pleading not for him to leave them alone but to make the end quick. He'd come back feeling a little sick. And of course his team made fun of him for it.  
  
And the last purge he and the team went on, his fifth, the planet that thought their guns were so powerful. Guns that took minutes to reload and blew up in the people faces as often as not.  
  
The stars rose and the moon came up halfway through the night. That moon, so disorienting. Raditz realized he wanted to see the three moons, rising one after another, outside the rings of spaceports and debris. The small white sun that gave off more heat then it's earthly yellow version ever could. The tangy smell that permeated all of Vegetasei, it was made up of iron and nickle mostly.  
  
The sounds of Vegetasei civilization, the brothels of the East Port, the fighting arena in the area nammed after it. The sounds of 30000 Sayins and slaves yelling as various fights progressed in any of the 4 areas.  
  
The feeling of power spread out across the planet, gearing up for his next purge, Anticipating finally getting past the first five, which were said to be the worst.  
  
And then he'd been shunted off to a scouting mission. Shipped off two days early. A day before Freiza came. His last glimpse of those moons being one of anger as all the other missions came in. To commemorate the kings fiftyeth year of rule. Freiza couldn't have picked a better day.  
  
"Is this what we're reduced to? A group of half breed with only two true Sayins left? Only two people who remember those moons?" Silently he continued: the sun, the spaceports, the whole rigid Feudal system based on power? The slaves and the rich? The technology we stole? All lost, lost forever, at the whim of a bastard worse then the race he killed.  
  
I guess the universe benefited from that whim, but there's nothing I wouldn't do to get it back. Or even part of it. All I want is...to be home.  
  
The man who killed more sentient beings then anyone else sat on the edge of a cliff with a case of homesickness.  
  
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	7. 6: Old Chains Reforged

7. Old Chains Reforged  
  
The next day Goku saw Raditz coming flying into the Son house. It was laready late afternoon.  
  
"Where were you? We thought that you'd run off or something! I mean we were all waiting for you and Gohan and then suddenly Gohan comes in fuming, almost breaks the door when he shuts it, just barely remembering in time, sees us and tells us that you aren't coming tonight. What happened?"  
  
"Goku, I'm your older brother, You don't need to act like an anxious mother! If Gohan didn't tell you that's good. I sure as hell am not. Me and him had a little disagreement that's all."  
  
"Did you guys fight Raditz? Thats just-"  
  
"Goku, you're doing it again"  
  
"what"  
  
"acting like a mother"  
  
"Oh sorry. It's just why didn't you come home"  
  
"I decided to spend a night out. I've been in hell for a long time, needed to loosen up."  
  
"Raditz that's not true! If you went out we'd have seen you on the news. We were watching it because we thought you and Gohan did fight. So stop lying and -"  
  
"GOKU! STOP ACTING LIKE MY MOTHER!"  
  
"Sorry, but you have to tell me, I'll owe you a favor but-"  
  
"Look Goku, I owe you a favor for the whole thing when I last came here. I think if I was going to grant you a favor right now I would have. Not going to happen. Give it up."  
  
"But -"  
  
"I said give it up!"  
  
"But -"  
  
"I'm pulling rank on this, I am older then you and a Corperal of the Sayin Army, Tenth army, Forth platoon, third company, seventh squad. My most recent mission was aborted due to death."  
  
"I thought you were going to let the Sayin traditions die. And wasn't it based on power, because I'm stronger."  
  
"I only obey them when they suit me." Radtiz smirked just to show he was joking "They suit me now. And they were based on power in general, but you had to be promoted. As there is no one here who can promote you, you must still be at last known position, which is Private, First purge Recruit. Under 20 years of age. Status is MIA presumed dead. And if you doubt that then you have no idea how well I memorized your profile."  
  
"Look Raditz you can't just pull rank, you -"  
  
"This conversation is over." Raditz said, a Sayin smirk raising the corners of his mouth. Goku was so easy to maneuver, Raditz estimated it would be twenty minutes before he figured out that Raditz never told him what happened. He turned to go get something to eat, his belly rumbleing like a tiger. Turned and saw Vegeta standing behind him.  
  
"So you are obeying the old laws are you? In that case you are a subject of mine, and under the oath to my house. Since I am the last remaining you owe me allegiance. Or are you going to go traitor like Tsii?" Vegeta's smirk grew as Raditz' disappeared.  
  
Raditz stood there for a long pause Frantically seeking a way out. He knew almost all the Sayin law off by heart, it was the only book (or books rather, it was long and complicated) in his fathers house, or rather it had been the only book. Raditz had read it over and over trying to immerse himself in it, to ignore his father and the old anger there. Finally he found a loophole, then another. Praying that Vegeta hadn't read to carefully, because it did deal with these loopholes at one point, Raditz returned the smirk and answered.  
  
"Actually, Vegeta, I am not under your command. You are the prince, whereas the oath specifically refers to the king. And there is no way you could become the king because that requires the marshall to induct you with four witnesses, not including the marshall or any other species, under a half moon on the rise.  
  
You had neither moon nor witnesses at your disposal. Since you are the prince, I am the ranking officer here. That does not mean you are under my command, but rather that Kakerot is under my command, not yours. As such I have no intentions of giving him any orders against his will."  
  
Vegeta grew red in the face and thought, then simply stated "If there is only one descendent of the royal house alive and the ritual cannot be instituted then he or she becomes King or Queen."  
  
A sudden crash, and Goku looked up shame-faced, a broken milk bottle on the floor. Raditz and Vegeta turned back to each other.  
  
Vegeta continued "As such" he said with a smirk and tone of voice "I demand that you -" "The oath specifically states the the allegence is only until death!" Raditz said triumphently. So neither Goku nor I have to obey you!"  
  
"Actually the Oath says "Until I be found bereft of all life", written by one of the only poets Vegetasei ever knew. A slave, seems his master was a freind of the king, and the king wanted the oath to sound flowery..."  
  
Raditz knew that Vegeta just wanted to gloat, he had proven his point. Raditz' body had never been found. Technically Vegeta was correct. And because the oath came before all laws (In terms of consideration) there was no loophole. He searched his memory frantically for any loophole he could find. There was none. he realized suddenly that Vegeta had stopped talking.  
  
"Not listening are we? Well then let me repeat my orders. You are to be the teacher of the Sayin traditions, you must teach any Sayin who asks. And half-Sayins count." Vegeta had a malicious grin on his face, he was making Raditz eat his own words "...the only two remaining Sayins who remembers the old ways and I'm not telling!"  
  
Vegeta turned to a startled Goku "and Kakerot you I will have-"  
  
"GOKU DON'T LISTEN!" Raditz yelled, "If you accept one order, it means you accept him as king! Whatever you do do NOT accept any order from him if he says the he as king. Anyhting else and you can, but not if he says those words!"  
  
Vegeta turned back, angry at Raditz. He smirked and told Raditz "I was going to let you try to find the loophole and then when you said it to me I would refuse. But just so you know, I as king absolutely refuse you the right to tell my mate about any of this."  
  
Raditz's heart sunk. He'd been counting on that. Of course Vegeta was underestimating him if he thought Raditz would have told Vegeta before telling Bulma. He was trapped in a cage. He had to obey Vegeta, and he knew that it wouldn't be nice. Just when he'd thought he might be able to talk to his little brother it was snatched from him. For Vegeta would realize very soon that Raditz would be most miserable sent off alone, always alone. He hardly noticed himself get food and eat it. He was trapped in an all to familiar cage. Duty and guilt, duty and guilt forged in yet another layer around him.  
  
He may have dispaired then if Vegeta hadn't left him and Goku alone. Goku walked over and said "He may have told you not to tell, but he never told me that." Then walked off. .:'""':.:'""':.:'""':.:'""':.:'""':.:'""':.:'""':.:'""':.:'""':.:'" "':.:'""':.:'""':.:'""':.:'""':.:'""':.:'" 


	8. 7: Small Talk

8. Small talk  
  
That night Raditz didn't tell anymore of his story, Vegeta and Bulma being locked in a debate over at Capsule Corp. Vegeta would be angry enough, once again he would have to wait until Vegeta was there. Instead he spent the night talking to people, actually talking. He and Gohan broke their silence.  
  
Gohan opened "Look Raditz, I'm sorry about-"  
  
"Look, you tied to make ammends, I just was to much of a jackass to listen. Thanks for not telling."  
  
"I didn't tell because I was too ashamed Raditz not because I was thinking of your feelings."  
  
"So? It's still the same result. Just don't tell anyone, k?"  
  
"K"  
  
Nothing animated or even all that important, but it was a start. Raditz had a few conversations like that. With Krillen, and Chichi. The conversation with Chichi went farther though.  
  
"You know, you need to get your hair cut."  
  
"say wha?"  
  
"Get your hair cut, it's flying all over the place." Chichi produced a pair of scissors.  
  
"Maybe a bit long still but-"  
  
"Get away from me with those scissors lady! Don't you dare try to touch my hair!"  
  
"Oh come on, it's far too long and-"  
  
"It is not too long, I've never had it cut and I don't want to start. Don't touch my hair1"  
  
"Fine. But someday you'll wish you'd taken me up on that!"  
  
Raditz realized that it wasn't the content, it was the tone. These conversations were at least less full of the oh my god it's Goku's evil brother! tone. Raditz was getting a home. 


End file.
